updated 10:50 am EDT, Thu May 15, 2008

Intel Quad for Portables

Intel's upcoming quad-core chip for notebooks has been optimized to where it can run in thin-and-light notebooks, according to a new report. The 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300 was originally flagged as a 45-watt chip limited to desktop replacement notebooks and slim desktops but is now said to use just 35 watts, putting it on par with the heat and power of current dual-core chips. The advance would permit the quad-core chip to work as a drop-in replacement for high-end notebooks without changing their dimensions.

The QX9300 is effectively a doubling of a same-speed Core 2 Duo based on the upcoming Centrino 2 notebook platform, and includes twice as much Level 2 cache at 12MB; its system bus is the same at 1,066MHz. This latest news would allegedly have Intel ship the quad-core processor sometime during the summer; past reports have indicated a September launch. Pricing, however, is expected to be high at $1,038 per chip in 1,000-unit batches.

The first Centrino 2-dependent chips are all dual-core and are known to ship on June 22nd in 2.26GHz, 2.4GHz, 2.53GHz, and 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo variants as well as a special 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme destined only for large portables.